Anti-Boredom As Structure of Feeling: Game Domestication and Mutual Aid Among Chinese Gamers with Visually Impairment

When visually impaired individuals start playing games, how do physical disabilities and structural situations shape their video game experiences? What does digital media, particularly video games, mean to visually impaired individuals? This article employs life story interviews and participatory observation to explore the daily lives of visually impaired individuals within the ecology of blind gaming in China. It aims to understand how the structural situations of marginalized groups generate shared structure of feeling and how these structures influence their gaming behaviors and actions within online communities. The study shows that bodily impairments and social barriers jointly shape the "boredom" experiences of visually impaired gamers. Digital media serve as valuable resources for coping with this boredom, with gaming providing immersive experiences, social opportunities, and a sense of achievement. However, commercialization within the blind gaming ecology leads to repetitive game mechanics, homogenized designs, and a focus on pay-to-win strategies, resulting in a secondary layer of boredom—boredom with the games themselves. Within the "anti-boredom" structure of feeling, visually impaired players initially use games to pass the time but later turn to other media for the same purpose. They engage in utopian actions such as mutual assistance, creating their own games, and reaching out to developers for accessible models—all aimed at enhancing the gaming ecosystem within the blind community. However, these efforts are limited by a commercially driven gaming culture and prevalent stereotypes about visually impaired individuals. For visually impaired players, media significance goes beyond mere functionality; it embodies a way of life. The "anti-boredom" structure of feeling formed around media reflects their structural situations and highlights the need for greater inclusivity in digital spaces.